Online Dating with Batman
by onceuponanothertime
Summary: Imagine Jeff trying out a dating site for fun but then he actually gets upset when nobody adds him or chats with him, so Nick makes a fake account and starts flirting hardcore. [One-Shot originally posted on Tumblr.]


**A/N: Prompt "imagine Jeff trying out a dating site for fun but then he actually gets upset when nobody adds him or chats with him, so Nick makes a fake account and starts flirting hardcore *u* gO WRITE" – Bekka [Originally posted on Tumblr]**

It was all Sebastian's fault.

Okay, so maybe the idea was originally Jeff's, but ultimately, Sebastian had been the one to force him into the reality. It was a fun, lighthearted idea, it would never amount to anything, Jeff knew that in the back of his mind, but part of him hoped it would work out. He'd been racking his brain, along with a couple of the boys' before getting a swift kick in the rear by the sweet-talker.

"You won't want me to make your account, Jeffrey. It will be incredibly raunchy and you'll attract the wrong crowd. If you don't do it, you know I will. Come on, man, you've talked our ears off about it, sure it could go bottoms up, or it could be a good experience but you won't know any of that shit unless you try it." Sebastian sighed, rolling his eyes for the fourth time that afternoon, completely fed up with Jeff's whining.

"But what if no one talks to me, or they think I suck, or –"

"But you do suck…dick." Despite the wink, Sebastian had resorted to lame jokes in order to pass the time while Jeff stared at the login screen.

"You know what I mean, Seb." Jeff glared before lowering his head into his hands, fingers running through his blonde locks.

"If you're this stressed over it, maybe you should bail?" Sebastian taunted, knowing Jeff's passive aggressive competitive nature would never let him ditch the idea.

"No! No, I'll make it…Okay…What should my login name be?" Jeff asked curiously, straightening in his computer chair while a smirk played on Sebastian's lips.

"You're asking me, because?"

"Right. Not you. You're no help. I need to ask Nick. He would know." Jeff nodded to himself, beginning to fill out the rest of the required information, leaving the username blank for the moment.

"Then call him."

"I can't, he's in practice."

"Well, you're stuck with me then. Just be boring and put your own name, if you're really that desperate." Sebastian scoffed, severely tempted to rewrite Jeff's biography, but the blonde was far too serious that Sebastian knew his boundaries.

"Fine. I can change it later, right? Okay, here goes nothing."

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He'd been on the site for two weeks, and heard absolutely nothing. At first, Jeff thought he had messed up the registration process, and his profile was not being shown publically, but that wasn't the case. He hadn't expected much of anything, but never imagined having zero contact with anyone. He'd sent out a couple of messages to a few cute guys, but heard no response back. Was he really that boring? Was he too invasive with his personal biography? Was he playing it safe choosing certain pictures instead of the usual macho guy poses where they were shirtless and overconfident? Jeff didn't know what he was doing wrong, but having to face a reality of putting himself out there only to be ignored was damaging his self-esteem.

Of course, it didn't help that the boys wanted updates since he'd annoyed them so much before creating his profile. He didn't blame them, they were ultimately looking out for him and wishing him the best, but having to explain that no one seemed to be interested was incredibly difficult. Sebastian was being kind about the whole ordeal, and even offered to revamp Jeff's profile to make sure he'd catch boys' attention, but Jeff declined. He wanted to be real. He wanted people to know him for his real self. Apparently, that feeling was not mutual.

Unaware to Jeff's perceptions, there was someone who noticed his online presence. There was someone who genuinely cared for him, and wanted to make him aware of that fact. So, that someone decided to make his own account and interact with the disappointed optimist.

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ColdplayRocks Hey cutie, how's it going? You seem like an awesome guy with pretty similar interests to myself. Who's your favourite Avenger between Captain America and Iron Man? I prefer Batman. Or maybe I am Batman, and just revealed myself to you in confidence? ;) Your bio is really honest, and I'd love to get to know you better.

Jeff's face lit up at the updated inbox on his laptop, and nearly ran to the common room to inform everyone. Grinning with excitement, he read the message and creeped the guy's biography before replying. _Batman_ seemed slightly mysterious, but an overall nice guy that Jeff could see himself getting along with. He found it a bit uneasy that the guy only used the Batman symbol for his profile picture, but hey, Jeff already had slim pickings so he wasn't about to reject the only person who had shown interest.

Warbler1993 Breaking out the tough questions right out of the box? That's interesting. I have to pick Captain America, though. He's so awesome! I mean who else gets to save the world and keep his humanity in tact? Plus his shield is sweet! Batman yeah? He's cool. I liked The Dark Knight the best from all of the Batman movies. Who's your favourite villain? My best friend loves Batman, ironically. I bet you'd get along-

_Jeff, what are you doing? Hooking up this guy with your friend instead of yourself? Backspace that right now._

Warbler1993 I bet you'd get along We can bond over superheroes, and music. Coldplay is a classic band! What's your favourite song? Mine is The Scientist. Yeah, I guess I'm somewhat of an open book. I don't know if that's a good thing or not… You tell me. Apparently you appreciated the honesty, so I'd say I'm on the right track. ;)

Despite the fact _Batman_ was faceless, Jeff was still happy that someone appreciated the effort he had put into his profile. He was genuinely looking for something to work out, and now had a returning spark of hope. Maybe this could go somewhere? He just had to be patient.

"You ever Skype with that kid, yet?" Sebastian smirked, leaning in the open doorway of their dorm, surveying Jeff's attachment to his laptop. The blonde had kept up the habit of barely leaving his laptop unattended for two weeks ever since _Batman_ had started talking to him. Sebastian was happy for him, but it didn't hurt to pry for more details. He was used to teasing his roommate, but usually received blushing replies of vague information, which Sebastian had to admit was adorable.

"No, he says he can't give away his identity yet until I work up to Robin status. He sent me a picture of his Batman costume though!" Jeff beamed, turning the computer to show Sebastian the headshot that didn't really give anything away since the mask covered everything up.

"If you prefer masked figures of darkness as your eye candy… Did he show you pics of anything else?" Sebastian grinned and received a glare in response.

"I'm not as tainted as you, Seb. We keep our conversations pretty PG." Jeff smirked with a shrug and turned his attention back to the chat room. "I think we're going to meet soon. We suggested it, so it's not official yet, but I hope we do. He's really nice, and funny, and… I think he really likes me…"

"Likes you? Please, Jeffrey that's demented~" Sebastian rolled his eyes, conveniently quoting _Tangled_, and earning a laugh from Jeff. "No, honestly that's great kiddo. I'm happy for you. I mean I could've made you a blonde bombshell if you let me run your profile, but _meh_, this works fine too. He seems pretty genuine from what you've told me. I could make a better assumption if you gave me juicy material, but go ahead and stay mysterious."

"Are we approaching protective friend territory? Should I get tissues and junk food for a good heart-to-heart?" Jeff teased and Sebastian moved to sit by the foot of Jeff's bed.

"Shut up, punk. Don't push your luck. I don't act this nice to everyone, so count your blessings I've grown to like your idiotic ways." He smirked and pried the computer from his roommate's lap. "Show me these updated convos. I wanna read the dirty stuff."

After a full month of heavy hitting communication between Jeff and Batman, it wasn't just Jeff who was becoming antsy for a meet-up. The boys were fairly supportive of Jeff's new relationship of sorts; although some were still cautious of the fact the guy was hiding behind an alias and a computer screen.

"What if he's a pedophile?" Trent urged warily, siding with the fact that Jeff's relationship was not technically real until he officially met the guy he'd been chatting with.

"He is not! Come on, don't you trust me!" Jeff whined into his coffee and Wes patted his back politely.

"It's not a matter of trusting you, Jeffrey. You're the one who trusts far too easily. We just want to keep you safe. It is better to air on the side of caution, especially with the amount of instances involving criminals and imposters on the Internet. We don't want you to get hurt, that's all." Wes nodded calmly before David interjected.

"Okay, but we aren't gonna know any of that until he meets this Batman guy! Nick, you're with me on this, right? It doesn't make sense to jump to conclusions and tell Jeff he's in the wrong for liking someone. I mean sure we don't know this guy, but predicting how to save Jeff from getting hurt isn't going to help much. Be can be here to help you after if it sucks, but I don't like prejudging when this Batman guy seems to make you really happy." David shrugged and looked to Nick for his opinion to which the brunette smiled softly and hid behind his coffee cup.

"I think everyone has valid points. It's ultimately Jeff's decision, though. We can't force you into anything." Nick replied quickly and Jeff smiled brightly in response.

"Thank you! See, why can't you all be supportive?" Jeff pouted and Sebastian scoffed with disgust.

"Excuse me, I was the one who encouraged the entire idea."

"Yes, exactly and if it all goes to shit, you know who we're blaming." Trent glared in annoyance.

"Okay, let's just agree on the fact Jeff should probably meet the guy in a public place and we'll all be here for him if it backfires." David suggested, acknowledging the fact that Jeff was wallowing in sadness since his friends were divided amongst their support.

"If I had my gavel, I'd call this personal meeting to conclusion." Wes grinned far too widely only to be met with harmonious groans from the group.

ColdplayRocks So we're really doing this?

Warbler1993 Yep! Unless, you don't want to, or you're busy…

ColdplayRocks No, I'm free. I want to meet you.

Warbler1993 So do I . What do you take in your coffee?

ColdplayRocks Just sugar. Who's to say I don't arrive there first and order yours?

Warbler1993 You can't since you don't know what my usual order is. Gotcha there!

ColdplayRocks What if I'm not only Batman, but also a mind reader?

Warbler1993 Just be late, and meet me at the Lima Bean for lunch. It's my treat.

ColdplayRocks Alright Captain, if you say so. ;)

Jeff took his seat in the Lima Bean as Sebastian and Trent hid in one of the back corners to spy in case things got ugly. They had the awful habit of winking and alternating between thumbs up and down while Jeff waited for Batman. Worry and regret washed over his face and he pushed his hair from his eyes as nervousness caused his body temperature to rise.

What if the guys were right, and Batman wasn't who he claimed to be? What if he expected more out of Jeff, and wanted to rush things? What if he was playing the romance cards right only to seduce Jeff into sex instead? Not like he didn't mind that, but Jeff was looking for a real relationship out of this, and not just some random hookup.

Why had the boy hidden behind _Batman_? Who was he? Why did he even like Jeff?

The blonde shook the negative thoughts from his head and reminded himself of why Batman was important to him, and how he made him feel. He wanted this to work out, and no matter what happened, he wouldn't take it back for anything. The experience had encouraged him out of his comfort zone, and allowed Jeff to learn more about himself.

Meanwhile, the boy behind the alias was clad in casual clothes complete with a Batman mask for humour. He was somewhat dreading what to say when he met Jeff, and whether the boy would be angry with him for hiding his identity. He hated seeing Jeff somber and pessimistic prior to making his account, and reveled in the change he'd made in Jeff's mood. The blonde was enthusiastic and confident, and seemed to embody joy and excitement ever since they started talking.

He didn't think that Jeff could hold a grudge for too long, and would eventually forgive him. After all, it was a mutual attraction, and Batman didn't regret choosing this way to confess his feelings. It had made Jeff happy, and gave Batman a way to build a stronger relationship before expressing his change in admiration from simply friends to romantic feelings. It was difficult to do in regular settings, and Batman found it unique to see how Jeff felt while spilling the beans about his feelings in front of all his friends. It was a different perspective that Batman wouldn't get to see otherwise.

Approaching the Lima Bean entrance, Batman noticed some familiar faces through the glass windows and froze in terror. He had expected that Jeff's friends would be concerned but never assumed they'd attend the date. Swallowing back worry, he focused on the blonde he came for, and walked in the doors towards the accompanied table.

"You came!" Jeff exclaimed, letting out a laugh at the boy's appearance as Batman sat down across from him.

"I had to be fashionably late as requested." Batman smirked, keeping up the voice change as best as he could without breaking character.

"That's fine, I got your coffee but wasn't sure how much sugar you put in, so I grabbed a few packets and a stir stick and-"

"Thank you, Jeff." Batman smiled interrupting the blonde's rambles. Jeff smiled softly and flushed before sipping his own coffee.

"How are you going to manage drinking that with your mask on?" He questioned, eager to know the identity behind the guy he liked.

"I'm not…I uh, Jeff… I have to tell you something."

Jeff sat still in his seat and nodded in reply. "Okay… Well, uh tell me, I guess? Just spit it out and break my heart." He laughed nervously in failed attempts to cover up his predicted disappointment.

"That's not what I intend to do at all. I'm hoping you don't think that I want to intentionally hurt you. I only wanted to make you happy, and you did the same for me. You always have, but this was a different way to show that." Batman shrugged and coughed at the hoarse vocal chords he was forced to maintain.

"How have I always done that? We've only been talking for a month." Jeff asked cautiously. He set his coffee aside and tried desperately to read the expression through Batman's mask. His mannerisms were vaguely familiar but he didn't understand why.

"Yeah, that's what I have to explain. I've knew about your account, and I knew how it was making you feel…I had already developed feelings for you prior to making my own, but was too nervous to tell you that early… Talking to you online, it gave me another way to express myself and talk to you in a more personal way than we were used to." Batman continued, casting his eyes to his coffee, distracting himself from Jeff's gaze by pouring in sugar packets.

"We? I think you'd better just tell me who you are." Jeff bit back; sending a glare toward Sebastian and Trent, wondering if they knew whom it was all along.

"Jeff… Please don't hate me. I need you to understand." Batman sighed, dropping the voice and curling his fingertips along the ridges of the mask, preparing for the worst.

Jeff's lips parted as a name slipped past, and eyes widened as the mask was removed and hair fell appropriately back into the boy's eyes.

_Nick. It had been Nick all along._

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Nick swallowed down his coffee before meeting Jeff's eyes. "I was scared… I didn't want you to feel so letdown. I mean, I cared about you and couldn't tell you at school. You kept going on about wanting to meet new people and be social, and I had to bite back my feelings. I didn't know how to tell you, so when the opportunity came I thought I'd be able to tell you online instead. You were pretty close to finding out… I know you're shocked, and likely angry with me, but you have to know that all I wanted was to make you happy and understand my feelings in further detail so I could tell you the truth between the two of us, without the other guys getting involved. We barely get privacy at Dalton, so I thought this was a nicer way to tell just you."

"Oh." Jeff blinked and sat silently for a few moments. Nick rung his fingers together in worry, not daring to look back to see Sebastian and Trent's reactions.

The next thing out of Jeff's mouth was resounding laughter. Nick furrowed his brows in concern. Why was he laughing? Was it angry laughing, or did he find Nick's confession entertaining? None of it made sense.

"Why the hell did you pick Batman as an alias?" Jeff breathed out through fits of giggles. "You couldn't just tell me it was you from the start? You…you had to be Batman… And I was so stupid not to clue in! Nick, you're such an idiot! Did you really think I'd reject you if you told me it was you all along?"

Nick swallowed and nodded cautiously. "Well…yeah…"

"You're my best friend!" Jeff sighed and took Nick's hands in his own. "I know everything about you – combined from both our conversations – and I could never reject you. You're far too important to me. I wish you would've just told me the truth, but it was fun getting to know you differently, I have to admit. Now, I'm probably going to end up analyzing our conversations since I know your identity, but I appreciate that you took the time to tell me why…I could never hate you, though. I'm not mad, just confused…It may take me a bit to grasp this but I like you too much to stop now that I've found out you're my best friend."

"Oh, okay… You promise you're not mad? I'm sorry… I should've explained it better, or not even started in the first place, but it hurt to see you so upset without knowing that someone did really like you… I just didn't have the best way with describing it in words… Plus Seb was pushing you to keep chatting to guys, so…" Nick explained tightening his grip on Jeff's fingers and letting out a shaky breath.

"Stop beating yourself up. I promise I'm not angry. I think this just calls for more one-on-one conversations between us. I'll have to kick Seb out of our dorm so you can hide there and we can talk about this some more, okay? Please don't think I'm upset. I appreciate why you did it, and knowing that you really – well, actually how much do you like me? You know how I feel about you because you had the luxury of eavesdropping, but I want to know how you feel about me. You can't be mysterious anymore, Batman. I need the details." Jeff grinned and Nick smiled back softly.

_1 New Message _

_Sebastian: WHO THE FUCK IS HE?_

Jeff turned his phone so Nick could see, and the brunette finally let his guard down and started laughing along with the blonde. Things were going to be okay; Jeff had reassured him of that.


End file.
